Music nerd

[rootbeer1]

The My Bloody Valentine concert last night here in San Francisco (and posts by sftekbear, kevin_v5 and bearzbub) reminded me of something I haven't pulled out in a while ... my own personal eight-CD history of British bands that were part of the shoegazing movement (or contemporaries who influenced it).



Back in the late '80s and early '90s, I was an obsessive CD collector, and visited London nearly every year, loading up my suitcase with music every time. I wasn't a huge concert-goer by that point, but did see My Bloody Valentine, and they were just as overwhelmingly, transcendently loud as Scott and others have said last night's concert was.

Nowadays I'm not so much interested in hearing new music as in re-listening to the music I already love, often in new, homemade configurations that reveal unexpected beauties, symmetries and links. I made this Shoegazing one about three years ago, and among its 120 songs (all from my own CD collection; nothing from iTunes) are tracks by MBV, Lush, Swervedriver, Curve, Chapterhouse, Bleach, the Catherine Wheel, Slowdive, Teenage Fanclub, the Boo Radleys, the Telescopes, the Pale Saints, Moose, Spiritualized, Ride, Eugenius, Loop, Kitchens of Distinction and many others.

I suppose I could have made a podcast out of all these songs, but I'm old school. I like the physical artifact.

Comments

[blachubear.livejournal.com]

That's cool. Sounds like a great collection. I do that myself. Check out my tribute post to The Smiths
http://blachubear.livejournal.com/99757.html

HUGS!!!

[akil.livejournal.com]

Kitchens of Distinction! Yay! :)

[grunter.livejournal.com]

Ditto for Moose!

[latestarter.livejournal.com]

... and yay for Teenage Fanclub!

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

They were shoegazer? Who knew?

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

A Catholic Education definitely looked at more shoes than their later, poppier work.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

That explains it--I'm a bandwagoner who hopped aboard with Strange Free World.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Wait--you're just messing with me, aren't you? Catholic Education is by Teenage Fanclub.

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

Darn subcomments! You never know who's referring to what!

[delko.livejournal.com]

Yeah, in the late eighties up to 9/11 I was going to London 2-3 times a year. My sister's husband was a mechanic for American and I was getting anywhere from $120-$180 roundtrip tickets.

Buying CD's, going to concerts; man I had some good times!

(oh, and, yay for the ring!)

[bugsinamber.livejournal.com]

I remember you telling me about this in our first face-to-face conversation. I wanted to hear it then and I want to hear it now. As in right this second.

[dedos.livejournal.com]

I never understood "shoegazing" as a descriptive term. For me Lush is so different than My Bloody Valentine and Spiritualized is another kettle of fish entirely.

[sftekbear.livejournal.com]

It would be cool if a copy of that CD found it's way to Anaheim this weekend :)

[philbutrin.livejournal.com]

that's a mighty good lineup on those discs :-)

[peterinoakland.livejournal.com]

The Catherine Wheel's "Heal" just came on my shuffle before I read this! I'd LOVE a copy of that mix! ;-)

[seabear59.livejournal.com]

The buzz is there's some really great music on this post!!!!!

[malcarne.livejournal.com]

I've been experiencing twinges of nostalgia and jealousy regarding the reformation of MBV. Of course they'd never come to Indianapolis. I saw them on their tour through Texas, In Houston, at The Vatican back in days of yore...that'll have to suffice.

neat compilation btw

[keanubear.livejournal.com]

OOOOOOOOO!!!!

[cajuncountry.livejournal.com]

I say go for a podcast and share with those of us who don't know the groups (except Catherine Wheel) you're talking about.

[fingertrouble.livejournal.com]

ooh I love Lush and Slowdive - Slowdive were very understimated. And Boo Radleys! YAY!

MBV never really did it for me, so shoot me. They work well in films though...